Bereavement
Bereavement is the period after the loss during which grief is experienced. Some view the process of bereavement as having four phases:
Shock and numbness. Usually occurring soon after a death, this is evident when the person finds it difficult to believe the death has occurred.
Yearning and searching. As shock and numbness recede, there remains a tendency to “forget the person has died.” Perhaps one catches a glimpse of someone who reminds you of the deceased, or you expect them to be there when you arrive home.
Disorganization and despair. As the reality of the absence of the person who died settles in, it is common to feel depressed and find it difficult to think about the future. You may be easily distracted, or have difficulty concentrating or focusing on any one task.
Reorganization. As a person slowly makes the adjustment to all the ways his or her life has changed as a result of the loss, a sense of renewal begins to evolve. Life is forever changed after a significant loss, but you slowly learn how the difficult aspects of life become reprioritized as you “pick up the pieces” and begin to move on. It is not that you forget about the person who died, but you have begun to learn how to live with this knowledge.